African Americans Chained by President Obama’s CPI Proposal

Maya RockeymooreDr. Maya Rockeymoore is president and CEO of Global Policy Solutions, a social change strategy firm in Washington, D.C., and the Center for Global Policy Solutions, a social change nonprofit dedicated to making policy work for people and their environments. She is also the co-chair of the Commission to Modernize Social Security. A regular guest on radio and television shows, Dr. Rockeymoore has appeared on NPR, CNN, Black Entertainment Television, ABC World News Tonight, Fox News, Al Jazeera and C-SPAN.

Although the $400 billion in cuts to Medicare should be of serious concern to African Americans since they contain provisions that would raise costs on seniors, it is the Administration’s proposal to change how the annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) is determined that is especially damning because of its discriminatory impact on African Americans.

The Administration proposes to substitute the regular CPI for the chained Consumer Price Index for all Urban Workers (“chained CPI”), which uses a formula that would reduce the amount by which the COLA is increased annually. Even worse, the effects of this benefit cut would be compounded over time. For example, the average Social Security retiree would see his or her benefits cut by $500 a year after 10 years. After 20 years, the average benefit would be cut by about $1,000 a year; thus, significantly reducing the purchasing power of those who rely on these benefits.

In a twisted bit of policy logic, the Obama Administration is arguing that the “chained CPI” is a good idea because it represents “a more accurate measure of inflation” while also acknowledging that it’s a bad idea from which economically vulnerable groups need to be protected by designating special exemptions. Among the vulnerable groups they seek to protect are the very old, those who are 76 years of age and older.

The Obama Administration will likely argue that other exemptions would benefit African Americans. Like the exemption for those who receive benefits from means-tested programs such as Supplemental Security Income and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or the exemption, yet to be identified in any official document by this author, for those who receive benefits for a very long time.

The way this exemption was explained by a White House staffer on a conference call with African-American leaders (held on April 10) is that Social Security disability or survivor beneficiaries, among whom African-American workers and their children are disproportionately represented, would be eligible for an exemption after 15 years of receiving Social Security benefits. Given the fact that child survivors are only eligible for benefits up until the age of 18 or graduation from high school, this exemption—perhaps the cruelest of them all since these children are more likely to reside in poor, single-parent households—would only give them a potential three years of relief from benefit cuts that would make it harder for them to survive and thrive.

African Americans have been among President Obama’s most loyal supporters and are very proud of his historic achievements. Yet President Obama’s “chained CPI” budget proposal represents a political and policy misstep that will have racially discriminatory effects.

Instead of moving forward with this ill-advised approach, the President needs to pursue more practical policy changes—such as lifting the cap on wages—that will address Social Security’s long term fiscal challenges while generating enough revenue to strengthen benefits for economically vulnerable groups of all backgrounds.